Thursday 6/16/2022 - Day 5 of 31 on our 2022 Canadian Maritime #2 Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

We departed Rockwood Park for out travel to Alma, Hopewell Rocks and Hopewell Cape. We departed the park so early, even the fog had not finished rising from the pond!

 

There is a unique sculpture near the pavilion in the park. It is a sculpture to celebrate, remember, and honor the men and women who have been injured or died while at work in and around the city of Saint John. This sculpture's location has the essentials of the natural surroundings, along with a sense of reflection we feel when near water, this space will create an environment of contemplation as well as a place to reflect and heal.

As you approach the sculpture from the road, walking towards the lake, you will see, crouching under the low end of the I-beam, the shadowy figure of a woman, which is the pivoting point of the sculpture giving it grounding and support. She joins with a second ghostly figure bent with the strain of raising the beam. These two figures represent workers who have been lost in the past. The third figure is stretching to add her support to the cause. She is a figure in transition, stepping with confidence through memory into the present. By placing her on the crate in a precarious position, our intention is to make the viewer more aware of the importance of safe work practices. The fourth figure brings us sharply into focus. This figure is pushing boundaries, achieving things beyond his reach, supporting and adding his energy to the group.

The larger than life sculpture shows people working together in order to lift a beam into place. There is excitement and a sense of pride that is felt by a task accomplished together. There is tension, an unspoken tension that comes from doing your best to support your accepted part of the task, while not wanting to let others down. Realizing your personal boundaries you work together to accomplish the job at hand. Although facing the possibility of injury, they look beyond themselves, spurred by the vision of a city worthy of its inhabitants. Throughout history, we have pressed boundaries to achieve and expand our environments both physically and mentally.

The raised beam, uplifted by the workers, is the arm of the sundial. The sundial marks the passage of time, which lessens the impact of tragedy and injury and allows for acceptance. The morning and afternoon hours are marked on the brick plaza with different colored bricks. The two vertical faces of the beam feature the motto of the memorial in both official languages intertwined with images of people who have been injured or lost at work. There are many kinds of injuries incurred in the work place; some of them are physical and some are emotional. The images carved in the beam reflect the ALL. The end of the beam and the pointer of the sundial is a stylized canary inspired by the memorial logo. Within the caged breast of the bird, a light is located. At night, this light would serve as a beacon and cast interesting patterns on the surrounding area. The sundial is oriented to be accurate at noon on April 28, the day chosen to honor people who have been injured or killed at work, “Day of Mourning.”

After we exited the campground, we followed a cloverleaf pattern on the highway and surface streets to get back onto Hwy 1 East. As we got back onto Hwy 1, we could see some of the campsites from Rockwood Park sitting high atop a hill on our left. We took pictures of Saint John from this spot yesterday. The view from this height, was amazing and what we could see in the city was spectacular too!

Quispamsis, what an unusual name for a town! The original inhabitants of the town of Quispamsis were the Maliseet First Nation, part of the Algonquin Federation. The name, "Quispamsis" was translated from the Maliseet language and means, "little lake in the woods", the lake being present-day Ritchie Lake. Acadians, British pre-Loyalists and Loyalists settled in the area around 1783, with many receiving land grants along the Kennebecasis and Hammond Rivers. Quispamsis combined in 1998 with the nearby communities of Gondola Point and Wells to form the present town. Quispamsis is the fastest growing town in the province of New Brunswick.

The Town of Hampton is nestled in the Kennebecasis River valley between the Pickwauket Hills and Passekeag Ridge. Hampton has a long history reflected in the native names of its natural surroundings. In 1784 the Loyalists discovered Ossekeag and began to build what would become the community of Hampton. Hampton is blessed with beautiful marsh areas, rich farmland and abundant wildlife. In the spring our marshes flood to prepare for its guests arrival. These help attract the wildlife, which contributes to Hampton being a nature lover’s paradise.  On a summer night, you can watch meteor showers, because the stars at night are almost always bright because fog is a rarity. 

Sussex is the covered bridge capital of Atlantic Canada. Originally settled by United Empire Loyalists moving up the St. John River Valley. Historically a farming community, Sussex has capitalized on its excellent geography to become a leading transportation, manufacturing, distribution and service center in Atlantic Canada.

The Town was named in honor of the Duke Of Sussex, son of King George III. The area was settled by a few families before the arrival of the United Empire Loyalists in 1784 from New Jersey. As the settlement of the Loyalists developed, the Parish Of Sussex was established in 1786. Growth continued in the Parish with the development of the agricultural and forestry industry and the opening of the European and American railway line in 1860, thus leading to the incorporation of the Town Of Sussex in 1904. In addition, from 1939 through the 60's, Sussex was the location of Camp Sussex. During the war years, Camp Sussex was home to 10,000 troops, thus providing a natural tie with the Canadian Armed Forces.

We got off Highway 1 onto Route 114. Our road log indicates that we descend 1,200 feet, to the Bay of Fundy, on this road. Along Route 114, we pass through a portion of the Bay of Fundy National Park.

It encompasses 10 miles of dramatic shoreline along the Bay of Fundy, famous for having the world’s highest tides. Twice a day, up to 8 feet of water or more rush in and out, roughly equivalent to the height of a four-floor building. This means exceptional views and a unique chance to explore the sea floor at low tide.

There are crystal clear lakes and even beaver ponds in Fundy National Park of Canada. The first views of the Bay of Fundy are breathtaking! The road looks like it was going to dip right into the bay!

We arrived at the pulse of the Bay of Fundy, in Alma. We secured the large parking area a couple blocks from the Lobster and Bake Shop. The local people rely on our lobster and scallop fishing, and tourism. Alma is in a unique scenic location where you can witness the constant changes of the tides.

The village of Alma provides two large lobster retail outlets, 2 motels, one hotel, a service station, a church, camping facilities, liquor retail and a grocery store, and several restaurants with menus that reflect the Bay of Fundy. The village is famous for baked goods, a very eclectic book store and gift shops. Some of Alma's constant summer guests are the hummingbirds - the bay is the most traveled migration route for so many bird species. Our wagon master told us "We go to Alma for the lobster and sticky buns."

Kelly’s Bake Shop draws in tourists and locals with its sticky, oversized sweet buns. Tourists from all over the world have sampled these famous cinnamon sticky buns – some actually work it into their itinerary. On a busy day, Kelly’s can go through nearly 3,000 sticky buns. The bakery also sells many other products, including date squares, breads, pies, cakes, tarts, doughnuts – and cookies. On the counter sit several large glass cookie jars, each filled generously with fresh cookies, and during a high traffic day, those jars can be re-filled as many as 15 times. Mixes are taboo at Kelly’s Bake Shop – everything is made from scratch, even fillings, and these homespun recipes have been refined for uniformity. With its red gingham curtains, well-scrubbed whitewash, friendly service and old-style baking, Kelly’s Bake Shop is a must visit location!

Eat lobster the way it was meant to be. We enjoyed freshly cooked lobsters on the shore of the Bay of Fundy. Collin’s Lobster offers freshly cooked lobster. There is a unique taste to freshwater lobster. The tub of live lobsters had some huge ones! One was 18 pounds! You can buy and eat the lobster at the shop, at their picnic tables or take it home. The lobster was cooked and other caravaneers will help you crack the lobster if you are a novice at it. They have scallops, salmon and shrimp for sale also.

After, we enjoyed the lobster and sticky buns we got back on the road and drove on some pretty sketchy roads. There was some serious road washout and a detour along the bay. While it was beautiful, the road was rough and narrow. But, we all made it safely. 

Our destination before the campground is the Hopewell Rocks. Here you can experience the monumental power of the world’s highest tides with unique access to the ocean floor. Our private tour guide, Sophia told us that in other parts of the world, the average tidal range is three feet or less, but at Hopewell Rocks the tides can reach a height of fourteen feet, twice a day. The tides travel between four and eight vertical feet per hour, depending on the lunar phases. Each tidal flow contains approximately 100 billion tons of water. These dramatic highs and lows have worked for thousands of years to sculpt the Hopewell Rocks. It’s like a piece of fine art, created by nature!

Here you can enjoy the Rocks from above and below. Our tour guide walked us on paths and outlooks that we have never been on before. 

We arrived at high tide, so we had to see the rocks from above. Tomorrow, we will come back in the morning and see the rocks from the ocean floor!

We headed back to the campground to get set up and enjoy some fellowship with the other caravanners!